Teenager 'plied with cider by police to make him admit more crimes'

A teenager was allegedly plied with cider by detectives to make him admit to
crimes he did not commit.

10:11AM GMT 05 Mar 2010

Sean Wall, 17, was taken to a police station and offered alcohol before being questioned over 11 burglaries, it was claimed.

But the plan backfired when it was discovered that he was already behind bars when five of the raids took place.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission has launched an investigation into the claims after Sean told his solicitor he had been given cider and tests then showed he was over the drink drive limit.

Officers were accused of twice taking the teenager on drives around an area he is banned from entering by an anti-social behaviour order.

They allegedly bought him two, two-litre bottles of Strongbow and cigarettes - and promised him a takeaway and a trip to see his mother Angela.

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The teenager is being held at Parc Young Offender Institution in Bridgend, South Wales, after admitting two offences.

Two detectives from South Wales Police, based in Cardiff, picked him up from there and allegedly took him to see his grandmother - who he is banned from contacting.

During the trip around the Cardiff suburbs the officers are said to have pointed out locations where burglaries had been carried out.

They then took Sean to Cardiff Bay Police Station and allegedly asked him to confess to the raids - telling him admitting the crimes would not increase his sentence.

But during interviews last Thursday, the youngster telephoned his solicitor, Nadeem Majjid, and said the officers had given him cider.

Mr Majid demanded the custody sergeant breathalyse Sean and tests showed he was over the drink drive limit.

The force has previously faced heavy criticism over its treatment of suspects - which included chaining them to radiators during the 1980s.

Mr Majid said: "This lad is vulnerable with psychiatric problems and is not used to drink. Getting him to admit things he hasn't done in the hope it will improve crime figures takes policing back 25 years,

"They were trying to pin other burglaries on him by pouring drink down his neck. It's likely in his condition he'd have agreed to anything."

A South Wales Police spokeswoman said the force voluntarily referred the claims to the Independent Police Complaints Commission.